Hans Werner Aufrecht comments on DTM future in North America

ITR Chairman Hans Werner Aufrecht talks about the background of the new agreement with GRAND-AM and IMSA.

DTM is on target for America. On Tuesday evening, DTM rights holder and promoter ITR e.V. signed a license and cooperation deal with GRAND AM and the US Motor Sport Association, IMSA. The goal of this deal: to establish in North America from 2015 a series similar to DTM. Just as the Japanese Super GT from 2014, this series also will be based on the technical DTM regulations. In our interview, ITR Chairman Hans Werner Aufrecht talks about the background of the new agreement.

Mr Aufrecht, what does this deal with GRAND-AM and IMSA mean for DTM? "This is an extremely important decision for the future. With this agreement, the parties involved created a basis allowing our manufacturers to go racing in America. It goes without saying that there still is a lot of work do but the course is set. We and our manufacturers just have to be present on the important markets such as the USA."

A new series is supposed to be created in the USA. Will the American manufacturers possibly also be involved? "We already have had conversations with the three big American manufacturers. Now we have to offer these colleagues the opportunity to take a look behind the DTM curtains. This certainly will happen around the DTM season kick-off, on 5th May at Hockenheim."

Do you expect to also see US manufacturers on the DTM grid, in the future? "Just as the German manufacturers enter important markets worldwide, the American and Japanese manufacturers have the goal to make an appearance on the German market."

The technical regulations introduced in 2012 are the basis for the internationalisation of DTM. What was the idea behind introducing these regulations? "In theses day, all the car manufacturers have to reduce their costs. And the regulations created by our three manufacturers in cooperation with the German Motor Sport Association, DMSB, and ITR e.V, represent an evolutionary step in this direction. Reducing the costs doesn’t necessarily mean that the manufacturers can’t be offered the opportunity to define themselves."